


homestretch of the hard times

by alexanderlightweight



Series: Words of October 2019 [31]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, Alternate Universe - Stargate Atlantis Fusion, First Meetings, Flirting, For Sharing Energy, Light Bondage, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Non-Consensual Bondage, Semi-Sentient Tentacles, Smitten, Tentacles, Tentacles in Space, Tentacletober, Virgin Shadowhunter Energy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-28 02:41:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21129425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexanderlightweight/pseuds/alexanderlightweight
Summary: Alec was confused, worried and a little aroused which was not how potential hostage situations normally went for him.  His siblings and pretty much the entirety of his crew were usually the ones seduced into trouble, Alec was the reasonable one who knew and practiced self-control.akaHis ship damaged during a simple mission, Alec finds himself landing his jumper on a drifting warship after a fight with the Wraith.  What he finds there isn't what he expected but the end result is one he can't complain about.





	homestretch of the hard times

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lynne_monstr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lynne_monstr/gifts).

> for tentacletober prompt: tentacles in space!!!
> 
> this was supposed to be a tiny, small short fill but nope!!!
> 
> Lynne thank you for the continued font of inspiration that this month has been!!

Alec started descent of his damaged puddlejumper with a sigh of relief, knowing that while he wasn’t safe just yet, landing somewhere was safer than drifting endlessly through space. It took a few minutes for his jumper to dock on what he thought was an abandoned Atlantean warship, he’d used what powers his runes and gene gave him to connect with it but for a little while it had been touch and go.

There was something… not quite hostile but definitely suspicious about the warship. It made him wary but desperate situations sometimes called for reckless choices and this was one of them. 

He was hopeful to find something he could use on the warship, to either repair the damage to his jumper or to contact Atlantis or even their Alpha Site. His people were probably frantic with worry and he didn’t trust anyone to run Atlantis while panicked, the last time they’d done that Atlantis had nearly been taken over by hostiles. It might have been a forgivable mistake, if he hadn’t later found out that Jace’s team had invited the hostiles in at Clary’s behest. 

Alec rubbed his head, trying to ignore the headache he had building and tapped his fingers on the console. Scans showed the ship to be viable so he left all but his weapons on the jumper, sealing it back after him and activating it’s camouflage cloaking as he did.

The warship was huge, a beautiful but obsolete memoriam to a long past age. Alec stretched before pulling out his life detector, frowning as it glitched, the screen crackling ominously before it went blank.

“Odd,” he murmured under his breath and then continued to walk forward, more warily this time. One of his hands trailed along the cool metal of the walls as he sought out the ships core, hoping to connect with it and awaken what he could. Despite the age, there was still a spark of energy in the ship and the further he walked the more connected he became. What was strange was that the deeper into the hull he walked the more he found a plethora of a near plant like organism. At first it had worried him, reminding him of the Wraith but then he’d noticed that it lacked the smell of decay and rot, instead filling the ship with the strong scent of brine, not unlike the ocean. 

Deciding to chance it he continued to walk, fingers trailing and dancing between an odd pattern of the strange, sinuous vines and cool metal. He was nearing the physical core of the ship where the ZPM would be if there was one, when he paused, frowning as his fingers caught. Hesitant to just start shooting, he drew his knife as he stepped closer to the wall, wondering just what had caught on his skin. 

One of the vines was hanging loose and part of it had strange circles that were latched tightly to the skin of his wrist, he sighed before tucking the knife between his teeth to first try and pull it away. It went, though not easily and when it was off, Alec stepped away from the wall, frowning at his hand and the trail of light pink marks on his skin. 

He gave the wall a wary look and walked to the ZPM, noticing that this room seemed to have the most life in both energy and the weird-plant. The ZPM console itself was dark, near lifeless and covered with grime as he knelt, placing his hands against it and reaching out only to feel something strange, nothing like the cool presence of Atlantis. This was warm, like fire and it echoed in his mind in language he couldn't understand, just the same word _ Magnus-Magnus-Magnus- _over and over again. 

“Shadowhunter energy.” The voice suddenly murmured, _ “virgin shadowhunter energy. _” 

Alec felt a dull heat on his cheeks and the back of his neck and frowned, it was nobody's business that he was a virgin or that he apparently had a weird energy because of it. Especially not some old ship’s AI, he cleared his throat and took his hand away from the console. The voice was quiet without him touching it but now he could hear other things, like footsteps. 

Alec turned, hand dropping to his weapon and found himself staring at a man.

A man who was tall and broad, _ extremely _ broad with muscles that would probably do terrible things to Alec’s laundry if he were to lend him a shirt. Which he wouldn’t. For reasons. Reasons such as being able to admire smooth brown skin and the chiseled torso he was currently staring at. 

“I need your strength,” the man said with his smooth, hypnotic voice and his luminous golden eyes and Alec felt himself nodding, even as adrenaline started to spike. “Don’t worry,” he said softly and suddenly he was close, his hand a cool balm against Alec’s flushed cheek, “I won’t take much.” 

The vines that Alec had forgotten about suddenly came to life and he jerked as they grabbed ahold of him. They wrapped around him tightly, pinning his arms to his sides and keeping him still as the man... as _ Magnus’ _ free hand took one of Alec’s and tangled their fingers together. 

“You’ll see me soon,” he was promised and then darkness.

-

Magnus looked at delight in the nephilim warrior who had happened upon his temporary home. It had been a long time since he’d seen another living being, though how long he truly wasn’t sure. He’d taken to hibernating to conserve energy and had stretched himself across the ship, just in case someone came and _ finally _, they did.

Taking the nephilim’s energy wouldn’t hurt him, just refresh Magnus and make his new companion a bit more docile when he woke again. Magnus wasn’t quite sure what the relations between nephilim and warlocks were these days. 

This one might be dressed very oddly but Magnus was sure he was a nephilim, a child of the Atlanteans the Ascended had blessed. Magnus himself was the son of a Descended, a being who had decided to use their powers to interfere and had been cast out of Ascension and cursed to wander the stars simply because they’d had opinions about how mortals lived. Personally, Magnus thought the whole thing a trite affair and a rather ridiculous punishment but alas, he was merely the offspring of one punished, not a perpetrator himself. 

Though he had a feeling he hadn’t done himself any favors attempting to figure out how to recreate the powers of a Gateway using only his own energy. That was how he’d come to be stranded on this ship after all and now that he’d been joined by-

Magnus frowned and looked at his sleeping companion, poking at the bulky outfit he wore and feeling delight when he noticed a strip of writing, now wasn't that helpful. Having _ Alexander’s _ name inscribed on his clothing so that Magnus could know it, so thoughtful though not very smart, what if he’d run into an enemy? Never a wise move, to give a name to an enemy. 

-but, well now that he’d been joined by his _ Alexander _, things were finally looking up.

Feeling revitalized for the first time since he’d been marooned, Magnus carefully tightened the grip of his tentacles and carried Alexander to his room. He normally just used it to store his body while in hibernation but still, he’d done with it what he could and it was actually what he considered to be the most comfortable yet elegant place on the ship. Hopefully, the nephilim would think so as well.

It didn’t take long, Magnus had been gentle after all and it wasn’t like Alexander had been doing anything with all that energy, for him to wake up. 

“How do you feel, Alexander?” He asked, one of his tentacles petting through his shadowhunter’s hair. He hadn’t touched another in so long and it was so soft, so very fluffy and if he’d had any less self control, there would be a whole lot more of him touching Alexander, he was so deliciously warm compared to metal of the ship. 

“Wha-“ Alexander blinked, such pretty odd eyes, like the surface of a planet Magnus no longer remembered the name of. “Magnus?” he finally asked and Magnus couldn’t help but reach out and press a thumb to Alexander’s lips in delight.

“Say it again?” He asked, his soul hungry to be known. 

_ “Magnus.” _

-

Alec was confused, worried and a little aroused which was _ not _ how potential hostage situations normally went for him. His siblings and pretty much the entirety of his crew were usually the ones seduced into trouble, Alec was the reasonable one who knew and practiced self-control. 

Here with someone he was pretty sure was called Magnus _ -who had knocked him unconscious, somehow stolen his energy, known he was a virgin and now knew his name _-he suddenly had a better understanding of how they all got into so much trouble. 

“Thank you,” Magnus said earnestly and then his hand, not one of the many tentacles still holding Alec down, but the one pressed against his mouth was cupping his jaw. “Thank you, Alexander.”

It took a little while for Alec’s heart to stop racing and for him to realize that beyond a little tired, he really did feel fine. What wasn’t fine was the way he had a perpetual blush, the fact that everywhere Magnus’ touched felt like a spark of electricity and the fact that while Magnus tried to explain his situation, Alec kept having to ask him to repeat himself.

“Are you, did I take too much or too fast?” Magnus finally asked and he’d been close the entire time they talked but now, with both hands cupping Alec’s face and several of his tentacles pressed against his neck, Alec felt like he couldn’t breath. 

“I’m good.” He managed to get out, “it’s just, a lot.” 

Magnus looked disappointed, his hands and several of his tentacles retreating and Alec winced, too much of a coward to explain it was Alec’s attraction to him that was too much, not the man himself. 

“So am I the first person who’s stumbled across you?” He asked, pushing aside Magnus’ beauty and the fact that he was some incredibly powerful Ancient descendent in favor of more information, “in all this time?”

“A few stopped by but could never land. The docking mechanism takes the ancient’s power.” Magnus explained and he reached out to run a thumb over Alec’s hand, “I have a mutated version of it, similar to your own. However it’s a different kind and it took nearly everything I had to keep this ship floating and safe, I couldn’t hail anyone else.” 

“But you’re okay?” Alec asked, unable to help the worry that stirred in his chest.

“For the most part.” Magnus promised, “and the scans show that your own ship is easily fixed. A night or two here and it’ll be ready to go.” 

“And you’ll come with me?” He was fairly certain but he still felt the need to ask, to make sure that Magnus knew he understand the position he’d been in, Alec had been hurt far worse by people in less desperate situations. Hell, Maia had kidnapped his sister and dragged her on the run before demanding she cut out the Wraith tracker embedded near Maia’s spine and their relationship seemed to be working out. 

In fact, he was positive that if he’d requested it, Magnus would have already untied him; the reason he hadn’t asked for that was not something he was going to think about at the moment. Maybe later, in private. Or never. Never worked well too. Alec was used to denial, it shouldn’t be that bad. 

Meanwhile, Magnus looked pleasantly surprised, “I would do anything to leave this place, Alexander. To leave with _ you _, that is the true gift.” 

Magnus looked so happy, truly happy and his tentacles tightened and Alec swallowed as he reflexively pressed his wrists and arms against the firm hold and felt them gently keep him in place.

He was in _ so _ much trouble.

-

It got both worse and better, at some point Magnus had realized he was practically in Alec’s lap and he’d apologized, looking both a little sheepish and a little forlorn before a blank mask took over and wiped his face clear of emotions. Alec mourned for it, already missing the spark in Magnus’ eyes and the soft smile on his lips or the wonder in his voice.

His tentacles retreated too, the odd appendages that Alec had tried very hard not to focus on too much. It was rude and he didn’t want Magnus to think that _ Alec _ thought there was anything wrong with him. Sure, Alec may have never met anyone with tentacles before but he was in another galaxy now and Alec’s home planet was a stagnant, stupid little spin-top full of idiots. If Magnus happened to have tentacles and be the most gorgeous being he’d ever met, well he’d thank the stars and leave it at that. 

Alec had offered food and Magnus had jumped at the chance, stomach rumbling in a way that he didn’t seem to notice but it had been so cute that Alec had blushed for him. The walk to the jumper was quiet, Magnus seemed distracted and closed off but it was hard to really believe that when his tentacles kept looping around Alec’s wrist or settling over his shoulder and one particularly persistent one had replaced his belt. Alec still wasn’t certain how or when that had happened and it turned a truly unfortunate noise of discovery into a yelp when he bit his lip in surprise.

Magnus’ mask had fallen, worry in his face as he cupped Alec’s jaw and Alec had swallowed back a mortified whimper when Magnus thumb had pressed tenderly down on his lip. 

“You’re hurt,” Magnus said and it took everything he had for Alec not to give in and press a kiss against his finger. 

“I’m fine,” he managed to choke out and his lip tingled as Magnus moved away, watching him worriedly, “oh look, the ship!” He said, pointing to where the ship was and idiotically forgetting that the cloak was on. Magnus looked, brow furrowed in confusion as Alec mentally cursed himself out, “right, uhm. There.” 

The cloak faded and Magnus made a noise of joy as Alec ushered him aboard, immediately going straight for his satchel and pulling out the food he’d stored there. He kept back an MRI for himself and offered Magnus the fresh food he’d packed along with the chocolate bars he had hidden in his gear. 

Magnus noticed the difference in their meals, because of course he did and Alec just shrugged, playing it off as no big deal but Magnus seemed to think differently, giving him a dangerously fond smile and telling him, “you’re a sweet man Alexander.”

Alec took another bite of cold ravioli and mourned his fleeting sanity. He’d faced the Wraith and his mother’s wrath without wavering but it was Magnus smiling him that would be his undoing, the tentacle still masquerading as his belt tightened as if in sympathy. 

-

Alec wasn’t exactly sure just how much time had passed, only that he was tired yet invigorated and the more he talked to Magnus the more he was sure that his attraction was reciprocated. 

“You’re exhausted,” Magnus said at one point, “I’ve kept you up far too late. Especially after taking so much of your energy.” He looked almost wistful as he said it, “can I offer you a bed? Or the closest thing I have to one?”

“Are you asking if you can take me to bed?” Alec blurted out, hope making him giddy and stumble over his words. 

Magnus froze, eyes shuttering and he raised a hand to fiddle with the metal jewel adorning the shell of his ear. 

_ Alec wanted to kiss it. _

“I could sleep elsewhere, or keep watch from outside or something... if that makes you uncomfortable.” 

“It doesn’t.” Alec hurried to assure him, “I mean you took my energy, you might as well take me too.” Alec teased but he meant it, licking his lips as he looked Magnus up and down in what he hoped was a seductive manner.

Magnus was only, well... he wasn’t human and he wasn’t mortal but he only had so much self-restraint. To have Alec offer him this and know how much trust and intimacy were shared in bed, Magnus didn’t have the strength to turn him down and he didn’t want to.

“Are you sure?” He asked softly, “I took your strength earlier Alexander, you don’t need to offer this to me as well.”

“It’s a selfish request, Magnus.” Alec promised and stepped closer to him, touching Magnus willingly and with a purpose, “I want you, but only if you want me too.”

“I want you,” Magnus promised and he thought that after centuries of being alone, the most important thing would be leaving this place. Instead, what suddenly mattered the most was how Alec would feel against him, how he would taste and sound and look and Magnus swallowed back a groan of desire at the thought, stepping forward.

“Wait,” Alec said suddenly and then hurried to explain, “does this mean that my energy won’t work for you anymore though? If I’m not a virgin?” Alec was worried now that the idea had formed, after all Magnus had been alone for centuries and if not sleeping together meant he could help him out, well then he was willing to make that sacrifice. At least until they were in a safer place. 

“Alexander,” Magnus said and Alec was surprised to see a hint of pink on his cheeks, “that was a joke, darling. I wasn’t actually serious about that part of your energy being important. Call it poor humor after decades of isolation? I wanted to make an entrance.”

Alec groaned, too tired and too turned on to actually be mortified, shaking his head as a tentacle pulled him closer to Magnus. A kiss was pressed against his cheek and he shivered, “forgive me?” Was whispered gently next to his ear and Alec nodded, overwhelmed with the feeling of how much he would do, how much he would _ give _ if it was Magnus who asked.

All his life he’d wondered what it would take to meet someone who would make him feel like this, someone he trusted instinctively and who trusted him. It wouldn’t be perfect, he knew that much but this, meeting Magnus was worth everything, he’d just had to travel to another galaxy to be found. 

**Author's Note:**

> did I totally and completely lose track of where I was going with this to write puns and smitten malec and soft antics and utter absurdity. yes.
> 
> do i regret it? nope
> 
> does any of this make sense? in my brain yes but things may have been lost in translation 
> 
> *gateway is basically like a stargate/ancestors circle. The SGA version of a portal that Magnus can make on his own (limited edition) 
> 
> I'm on tumblr as [alexanderlightweight](https://alexanderlightweight.tumblr.com)


End file.
